What We Don't Want to See: A Reading

Last week, I had the honor of reading at Les Bleus Literary Salon at the Salmagundi Club.

I’m sharing two clips from that night. Both are readings from Fever Dream with a Side of Dior from All That Jas. The first is a short excerpt; the second is the full reading for those who’d like to watch it.

The human rights violations—and the sheer cruelty happening in our country—are incomprehensible. This is not normal. Then add consumerism. A Chanel bag for $10K, or a $50 million wedding in Venice (I heard everything was paid for except for guests' mini bars?)—and the cognitive dissonance becomes a fever dream. Our country is sick.

I believe that art and freedom of expression are inherently forms of resistance. I believe in speaking up for those who can’t right now.

In On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder forewarned that we mustn’t obey in advance. He wrote:

“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

At a time when empathy is being called weakness—when up is down and right is wrong— I still believe in the power of caring about other people. In living from the heart. In a fierce kind of love. I still believe we can wake up from this terrifying fever dream.

Below is a short clip from my reading for the Les Bleus Literary Salon.

Below is the full reading. The whole fever dream.

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